"them, that they were both Confident of Sir Wil- A. C. liam's being eafie in it, and giving him his Af 1674fiftance. He faid befides, That after having fought "the King's Battle with the Prince, he must fight a

nother of his own, who did not deferve the Cold"nefs his Highnefs had of late Exprefs'd to him, " and when this was done, all his Bufinefs was end"ed. That he defir'd Sir William would, according to the Forms, bring him and my Lord of "fory the first time to the Prince, and after that "he would fee him no more in Ceremony, nor give his Excellency that Trouble.

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Sir William Temple told his Lordship, He was very glad to fee him, let his Bufinefs be what it would; that he should be gladder yet that the King's Bufinefs fhould be done, let it be by whom it would; but much more that it might be by him; that for fettling Mat ters right between the King and the Prince, he thought it the best Office could be done them both; that for the way he mentioned of raking into the Sore, and fighting of Battles in Defence or Juftification of what was past, he knew not what to say to it; but would leave it to his own Prudence; but from what he knew in particular of the Prince's Humour and Thoughts, whatever he did of that fort, he should be very gentle, and not go too deep, being of Opinion, That Expoftulations were very apt to end well between Lovers, but ill between Friends. That he would Introduce him and the Lord Offory to the Prince, and defired no other part in his Affair, then what his Lordship thought necessary to give him.

Sir William Temple was not the worfe Entertained during the Course of this Adventure : For my Lord Arlington told him every Day what he thought fit of all that pafs'd between them; and his Highnefs told him not only the thing but the manner of it, which was more Important than the Matter it felf: For this had no Effect, but the other a great deal, and that lafted long. His Lorfhip told him much of his Expoftulations, and with what good turns of Wit, he had juftified both the King's Part in the late War, and his own; but that upon all he found the

A. C. the Prince dry, fullen and uneafie. That as to 1674 the State of Christendom, and what related to the War he was engag'd in, he made him no Overtures at all, nor entred further than that the King might bring him out of it with Honour, if he pleas'd, and with fafety to Europe; if not, it must go on till the Fortunes of the Parties changing made way for other Thoughts.

all Success The Prince on the other fide, acquainted Sir of the Lord William Temple with what Arrogance and Infolence Arling the Lord Arlington had entred upon all his Exton's Nego- poftulations with him, fhewing not only in his Dif

tiation

courfes, as if he pretended to deal with a Child, and could by his VVit, make believe what he pleas'd; but in the manner of it, as if he had taken himself for the Prince of Orange, and him for my Lord Arlington: That all be faid was fo Artificial, and giving fuch falfe Colours to things every Body knew, that he, that was a plain Man could not bear it, and was never fo weary of any Converfation in his Life. In a Word, by all the Prince told Sir William Temple upon it, his Highness looked fpighted at my Lord Arlington, and not very much pleafed with the King's Intentions upon this Errand, tho' he faid, He was fure His Majefty never intended he should Treat it in the manner he had, if he remembred that be was his Nepew, tho' nothing else.

The Penfioner and Count VValdeck, thought that the Bent of my Lord Arlington was, 1. To draw the Prince into fuch Measures of a Peace as France then fo much defir'd. 2. Into a Discovery of thofe Perfons who had made Advances to the Prince or the States of raifing Commotions in England. 3. Into Secret Measures with the King of Affifting him against any Rebels at Home, as well as Enemies Abroad. And, 4. Into the Hopes or Defigns of a Match with the Duke of York's Eldeft Daughter. Tho' they faid, he found the Prince would not enter at all into the Firft; was Obftinate against the Second; treated the Third as a Difrepect to the King, to think he could be fo ill belov'd, or fo Imprudent to need it; and upon mention made of the last by my Lord Offory, he took

no

no further hold of it than faying, His fortunes were A. A not in a Condition for him to think of a VVife. 1675.

After the first Converfations, the Lord Arlington ftaid near Six Weeks in Holland, either upon contrary Winds to return his Difpatches, or to carry him away; equally difappointed and difcontented with the Succefs of his Undertaking. At his return to London, he was but coldly receiv'd by the King, and ill by the Duke of York; the latter being angry that any Mention had been made of the Lady Mary, tho' it was done by the Earl of Offory, but whether with any Order from His Majefty or no, was uncertain.

Whatever was the Occafion the French fhew'd Endenthis Winter an extreme Defire of a Peace: A vours totalk of a Marriage between Monfieur's Eldeft wards a Daughter, and the King of Spain was let on Foot; Peace inef a Sufpenfion of Arms was propos'd at Vienna ?fectual. Practifes were used to disjoint the Princes of Brandenburgh and Lunemburgh from the Confederacy; and great Inftances made for a Separate Peace between France and Holland, towards which they offer'd all the Advantages that could be to the States in point of Commerce, and all the Perfo nal ones that could be defir'd by a Prince of orange: But his Highness was unmoveable in not leaving his Allies, who likewife rejected the Overtures of Peace, tho' he began to forefee he was like to Play a hard Game with them next Summer in the Field, and perhaps harder with the People, who grew impatient of Taxes, and felt the decay of Trade.

In February the Prince went into Guelderland to The P. of Settle and Regulate the New Magiftracy there, Orange according to his Office of Stadtholder. Whilft he refuses the was there the Deputies of that Dutchy, and of the Sovereign Earldom of Zutphen, by unanimous Confent made y of Guel him an Offer of the Sovereignty of thofe Pro-derland, vinces, with the Ancient Title of Duke of Guel- &c. derland, and Count of Zutphen, which they faid had been formerly in fome of his Ancestors. The Prince told them, He would give them no Answer upon an Affair of fuck Moment, without first advising

with

A. C. with the other Provinces; and immediately Writ 1675. to thofe of Holland, Zealand and Utrecht, to im part this offer to them, and demand their Advice upon it.

Nothing could more employ the Politick Heads of this time, than the Courfe of this Affair; fome afcribing it to the Ambition of the Prince, and prefaging the fame Design upon the rest of the Provinces, others laying it to the Charge of his Young Counsellours; others to a Defign of founding the Humour of the Provinces, and of having the Honour to refuse it, after they should have all advis'd him to accept it, as 'twas believ'd they would do. But whether the Prince or his Friends had the Part that was commonly thought in the first Overture, 'tis certain an Intereft of the Deputies and Magiftrates, as well as Nobles of Guelderland, had a fhare in it too. For whereas this is the firit Province of the Union, and abounds with Nobles more than all the reft, yet by reafon of their Poverty from their Barren Soil and want of Trade, they are lefs regarded than feveral other Provinces. The Deputies of this Dutchy finding themfelves yet lefs confiderable fince the War, which had extreamly empoverish'd their Country, thought there was no way of recovering fuch a Credit in the State, as fuited with the Rank they held, but making the Prince of Orange their Sovereign; befides many of the Nobles there having Pretences for themfelves or their Friends to the Military Employments, thought thereby to make their Court to the Prince upon whom those Charges depended.

In the mean time the Province of Zealand fent their Advice to the Prince against his Accepting of the Offer, grounding it upon the Jealoufie it might raife in the other Provinces, and Inconfiftence of it with the Conftitutions of their Union, which left none of the Provinces at Liberty to difpofe of their Sovereignty without Confent of the reft. Utrecht return'd their Anfwer with Advice to accept it, in Holland, Penfioner Fagel and Monfieur Beverning advised alfo the Prince not

Hea

to refufe it, but it being long before he could get the Advice of the whole Province, becaufe of the Delays neceffary in running the Circle of fo many Towns, his Highnefs excus'd himfelf to the States of Guelderland from accepting their Offer; being perfwaded that a Soveraign Prince in Holland ne would certainly and foon ruin Trade, and confequently the Riches and Greatness of that State, and leave a Prince of it without Power or Regard in the World; whereas the Princes of Orange in the Poft they had held for four Generations, had entred into Wars and Treaties, with a Weight and Credit equal to moft of the Kings of Europe.

*

A. C.

1675.

II. is Jea

At the Prince's return to the Hague, Sir Wil March liam Temple receiv'd a Letter from His Britannick 1675. Majefty, telling him of fome Advices given him, K Charles that the Prince intended to come over into Eng-ous of the land, against the approaching Seffion of Parliament, prince's and commanding that Minifter to prevent it. Sir appos'd William Temple affur'd his Mafter there could be Defign of nothing of it, before he faw the Prince; but when coming o he did, he pretended not to have had it from the ver into King, but that he heard fuch a thing had been England. whisper'd to His Majefty. The Prince faid, That Report might come from my Lord Arlington, who had Jometimes talk'd of that Journey after the Peace fhould be made: That however it came he was Sorry the King fhould believe it; that he was His Majefties Servant, and if he could do him no Service, he would at leaft do him no Harm; but if the King would be otherwise poffeft, he could not help it, yet defir'd Sir William to affure him, there had never been any ground for Such a Report. In the Afternoon the Prince came to the English Ambaffador, and told him in great Heat, He had fince he faw him, received the moft Impertinent Letter from the Lord Arlington, that ever was upon that Subject; Treating it as a Refolution certain, and intended for raifing Heats in the Parliament, and Commotions in the Kingdom, telling him, 'Twas like to prove but an ill Friendship between the King and him, if it was to be made with Cudgels, and putting him in mind, That there were fome Wounds in Holland that would bleed fill if there was not

Cire